PZ Myers
thumb|[[wikipedia:International Humanist and Ethical Union|IHEU's International Humanist Award 2011 ]] Paul Zachary "PZ" Myers (often erroneously spelt Meyers) is a biology professor at University of Minnesota Morris (UMM). Myers created Pharyngula and is not particularly fond of religion or misogyny. For these crimes, he gets email and idiots throw dirt at him at Twitter. This is our opposition PZ is licensed to carry an atheist cyberpistol. Science As a scientist Myers has many opinions about Science. Youthful interest PZ says: I grew up poor with no expectation that I’d even be able to go to college; my father had me all lined up for a nice union blue collar job when I lucked into a full scholarship (doing extraordinarily well on those standardized tests paid off). I went to a public school with an, as I now know in hindsight, awful science program (with one or two bright spots, thank you Mr Thompson), and got negligible exposure to science. But I loved the stuff myself; I followed the space program zealously, I dissected road kill, I hiked the woods and hills around my home, and I read like a maniac — I lived in the local library and read Scientific American and Natural History and Smithsonian and National Geographic, and I finished all the science books in the children’s section before I was 11 and pestered the librarians to let me check out adult books. I cared enough about how the world worked to struggle to understand it. Science journals Myers believes the leading science journals pay too much attention to commercial considerations and not enough to the scientific value of what they do or do not publish. Top journals, Nature, Cell and Science''are specifically mentioned. Myers cites Nobel Lauriat, Randy Schekman who had more detailed information on this. How journals like Nature, Cell and Science are damaging scienceA new journal Career In 2011, Prof. Myers was elected chair of the biology department at the University of Minnesota, Morris. Research Prof. Myers' research is in evo-devo, using the zebrafish, Danio rerio, a common aquarium fish. A major part of his research is about the effects of alcohol (CH3CH2OH) on embryonic development. He does this research by giving zebrafish embryos big doses of alcohol and then looking for abnormalities. * Developing under the influence: zebrafish in alcohol – Pharyngula * Cellular responses to alcohol – Pharyngula * Trying too hard – Pharyngula * Thoughts and Findings Related to Neurobiology Lab – Pharyngula - by a student * More Fish – Pharyngula - by another student Outreach Prof. Myers main outreach tools are his blog, Pharyngula; his teaching at UMM; and talks at conferences and other events, both within and outside the U.S., as well as interviews with news media. Myers wrote a book with the title, ''"The Happy Atheist", The Happy Atheist especially recommended as a present for relatives who regularly give religiously themed presents. A tragedy in Morris All this assumes you don't mind if your religious relative is thoroughly offended and stops giving you presents. View an abstract. So Alone, Conferences * Atheists in Austalia * Centre for Inquiry in Canada * Atheists in Sweden Interviews and podcasts See Point of Inquiry and other websites. Messageboard moderation Prof. Myers had been a moderator of the Evolution/Creation forum at the Internet Infidels Discussion Board (IIDB), which is now the Freethought and Rationalism Discussion Board (FRDB). But on May 18, 2004, he stepped down. Two weeks later, IIDB's management announced that it was accepting theist moderators. Beliefs Politics and Ethics Myers is politically liberal but opposes Libertarians. Myers believes morality should be based on being kind to other human beings and animals, also avoiding harm. The “objective morality” gotcha Myers believes Bradley Manning deserves a medal, Dick Cheney and John Yoo and Karl Rove and George W. Bush should go to jail in Manning's place. Bradley Manning Not Guilty Of ‘Aiding The Enemy’ Myers is strongly critical of misogyny, lack of respect for women and sexual harassment. He published Carrie Poppy who complained about problems she experienced working at the James Randi Educational Foundation Carrie Poppy tells all and others. He also fears there is denialism over the issue and believes only far reaching change can rescue the movement. Painfully close to the truth Myers linked to many other websites where women complained about harassment in the skeptical movement and feels radical change is needed to preserve the movement. Myers hopes his supporters on Pharyngula will "pick a side" and fight those who harass women. This is not an update. See Misogyny Wars for more. The Bible Myers agrees with Robert G Ingersol that the Bible is an evil book, encouraging slavery, people were imprisoned, tortured and killed families set apart from each other due to the Bible's influence. Credulity was encouraged. Atheists sink to new depths of depravity! Roman Catholicism Myers thinks girls as well as men should go to college. Training the minds of young people is more important than young people marrying early and pushing out babies early despite what some Roman Catholics advocate. Catholics really do despise women Myers is strongly critical of Totino-Grace Roman Catholic high school because they fired one teacher and forced their president to resign just because both admitted to being in long term gay relationships. There are good Catholics. There is no good Catholicism. Myers also has quite a lot to say about Roman Catholic child abuse. Trivia Rumors exist that Myers has tentacles, indeed Myers encourages such rumors with illustrations of himself as a tentacled being. The Curse of Morris References See also * Notable PZ Quotes External links *PZ Myers Atheism Wiki on PZ Myers *PZ Myers RationalWiki on PZ Myers Category:Pharyngula Category:People Category:Atheism